Girls On Press : Welcome!

You might be wondering about the name:

The name for my publishing imprint—Girls On Press—came to me after many years of attending “press OK’s,” or Press Sheet Inspections—as they are officially called in government service. I did my first press OK while working at New School University, in New York City. My production manager at the time—Carol—introduced me to the amazing world of offset printing, and to the hustle, bustle, inky smells, and wooshing noises of the press room. She let me discover, hands on, how choices I made in constructing a document at the computer manifested—for better or worse—on press. She made me a better designer and eventually a better teacher. She instilled in me a respect for the art and craft of printing, and the amazing things that can happen on press. Thanks, Carol!

Well, when I left the security of that little, in-house, university printing operation in the West Village, I got to explore NYC’s broader printing industry, and boy, did I get an eyeful. Press rooms were filled with mostly men—chain smoking cigarettes, cursing, downing black coffee, and gaining occasional inspiration by glancing at the typically naked pin-up girls they had attached all over their presses with duct tape. After repeated exposure to this environment over 8 years—with the exception one press OK I did at an amazingly tidy, all female, web-fed press I discovered in Chelsea—I became sad for the girls duct taped to the presses. I envisioned a sea change for women in the printing industry. I could almost see those naked girls peeling off the presses, coming to life, putting on coveralls, and telling everyone else to essentially get lost. It was at that very moment that I imagined one day having a woman-owned and operated, independent publishing company called Girls On Press. Some 15 years later, I made my press room fantasy a reality!

I’d love to hear from you:

If you have ideas for a book you’ve been wanting to publish, or have a manuscript already in the works, let’s talk. I can be reached by phone at 304-707-1070, or by email at stephanie@girlsonpress.com.